Construction of an Online Learning System for Decimal Numbers through the Use of Cognitive Conflict Strategy

Huang, Tzu-Hua; Liu, Yuan-Chen; Shiu, Chia-Ya

Computers & Education, v50 n1 p61-76 Jan 2008

The study focused on the effects of the CAL system constructed via cognitive conflict of decimal numbers for the sixth graders. The purpose of the system is to gauge decimal concepts of students. When students entertain misconceptions or misleading ideas, the system will in accordance with the types of the wrong answer generate appropriate cognitive conflicts as feedback to help the students realize the irrational part of their ideas. Then through the instruction screen for cognitive adjustment students' original concepts are corrected. Research objects of this study were sixth-grade students from an elementary school in Taipei. The study took a quasi-experimental approach that employed pretest-posttest, non-equivalent-group design. The two groups of students were given the pretest, posttest, and postponed test in order to measure the effect of the system. They were also interviewed to see how their concepts had changed. This study found that, although most of the sixth graders did not understand the basic concepts of decimal numbers very well and their misconceptions were similar to those identified by other studies, the result of the experiments showed significant improvement following the use of the computer-aided learning system. The learning system helped students better retain the decimal concepts they acquired. Data from the interviews also indicated that the system, constructed on cognitive conflicts, can help students clear their misconceptions of decimals numbers.